Open letter Equality Parade 2013

On the occasion of the Equality Parade 2013 in Warsaw, the Netherlands Embassy took the initiative to publish a joint statement. The statement was signed by twenty-two Embassies.

The text of the statement is the following:

Open letter of the Ambassadors of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada,
Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania,
Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United
Kingdom and the United States of America and the Representative of the Flemish
Government on the occasion of the Equality Parade in Warsaw on June 15th, 2013.
The initiative of this letter came from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands.

On the occasion of this year’s Warsaw Equality Parade, we express our support
for efforts to raise public awareness of the issues affecting the lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Poland. In this regard, we affirm
the inherent dignity of each individual as expressed in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. Respect for these fundamental values, which are
also enshrined in the framework of the Council of Europe and the European Union
as a community of values, obliges governments to protect all citizens from
violence and discrimination and to ensure they enjoy equal opportunities. For
this, we need to jointly work on an environment of tolerance and acceptance. We
applaud the hard work of LGBT communities in Poland and around the world, as
well as the work of all those in government and outside who seek to ensure
fundamental rights for LGBT persons and end discrimination on the basis of
sexual orientation or gender identity. LGBT rights are human rights, for which
each individual should stand.